The Ink Runs Dry
by Robin Steele
Summary: AU Light is a girl. No really, she was born that way. At least this time around she doesn't have to worry about cameras in her room. No way her dad would allow that.
1. Beginning

_Disclaimer-Death Note does _not_ belong to me. The end. _

_Did someone throw a notebook off the roof?_ Light thought to herself; wrapping her ink stained hands around the glossy black cover. This looked like it was the same notebook she had seen falling outside the classroom window earlier this morning. She turned it over in her hands and saw that on the front emblazoned in a white, scrawling script were two words—

**Death Note**

For an instant Light felt like laughing. _A death god's notebook written in English yet dropped in Japan? This must be someone's sick idea of a joke. _Instead she asked herself "Why are so many people into these kinds of morbid things?" and shoved the little black notebook into the depths of her backpack.

Even after ridding the moribund book from her sight she was plagued by thoughts of it throughout the entire trip home.

"Mom! I'm home!" Light called out half an hour later, kicking her shoes off at the doorway. Her mother appeared in a flash; all beaming smiles and suffocating parental pride.

"Hello honey! How was school?"

"Boring, as usual." Light called back as she took the stairs up to her room two at a time.

An instant later Light was closing and locking the door to with one hand shifting through her bag for the Death Note with the other. After putting it in the center of her desk Light perched above it, reading.

"Just write a name in here and imagine their face and they will die huh? Let's test that out." She snatched up a nearby ink pen and opened the Death Note to the first page.

…but didn't write anything down.

_What if this isn't a joke? What if I kill an innocent human being? Can I live with that?_ She could, Light decided but--_It would have to be someone who deserved it—a criminal. _Then Light was faced with a second problem: where to find a criminal worth killing.

Which wasn't a problem at all once she turned on the television.

"The man who indiscriminately killed and wounded six people yesterday in Shinjuku is still barricaded inside this nursery school, with eight hostages, including little children. The metropolitan police have determined the man's identity. He is Kurou Otoharada, 42 years old and unemployed. Two days ago, Otoharada—"

Light had heard enough. After quick glance at the man's face and the spelling of his name Light made her choice. She made sure each letter was neat and clear but left the cause of death blank.

_Heart attack, right?__Or at least that was what the instructions said._

Her attention was soon split between the clock and the live broadcast to the point she was counting each second as it went by.

_Why do I keep expecting something to happen—_

"What's this…!? The hostages are coming out! They seem to be all right. And now the police going in! Will they be able to arrest Otoharada?!"

_It couldn't be…_

"They're…coming back out! Blah blah. What exactly is going on? Blah blah. But no sign of their captor just yet."

_That's impossible._

"This just in! The captor is inside the nursery school, and he is dead! It appears Otoharada is dead!"

"Dead!?" Light gasped, her face a mask of shock and horror at this simple truth.

"The police are emphasizing that they did NOT shoot him. Could that mean he committed suicide? Well, the hostages are apparently saying that he suddenly collapsed…"

_A heart attack!?_

Suddenly Light was a lot less bored.

* * *

The next day Light found herself immersed in a book. Unfortunately she couldn't really remember the book's title or main character's name. Maybe it would be more accurate to say she was immersed in thoughts about the Death Note? 

Her mind kept returning to that strange little notebook. Had what she seen been true? Could she really kill someone with their name and little more? Had she imagined it all?

She had been so distracted in class today that even her most unobservant teacher noticed. That and someone had bounced a pen off her head—maybe she should find out whoever had done that and kill them?

Then again it would probably be a bad idea to kill someone at school. Best to stick with people she didn't personally know.

"Hey girlie!" a rough looking biker said, his voice easily recognizable even through glass. Light couldn't help but notice the attractive woman he was talking to.

_Please tell me this idiot is smart enough to realize…_

"How 'bout havin' some fun wit' me tonight?"

_Guess not. Geeze, what a slime bag._

"I… don't think so…" The woman replied while taking small, delicate steps away from the biker as if he had some contagious disease. Light couldn't blame her.

"My name's Takuo Shibuimaru, that's Shibutaku for short. Heh heh… Come on girlie, how about it?" Light felt like gagging. What an idiot!

_Apparently he has done this before; he even gave her his name so she would know what to write on the restraining order._

…_and really, Shibutaku? Cool Taku? What has this guy been smoking?_

"Umm…no." Apparently this woman shared Light's opinion about men with such horrid hygiene problems. Unfortunately Takuo just couldn't get a hint.

_Maybe…This could be the perfect opportunity to test out the Death Note!_

Ever since its initial test with Otoharada Light had kept the Death Note near to her at all times. Better safe than sorry after all. So now all she had to do was pull the little black book from her bag, grab a pen and write.

Takuo Shibuimaru. Traffic accident.

_Better write it a couple of times just to be sure._

Takuo Shibuimaru. Traffic accident.

Takuo Shibuimaru. Traffic accident.

Takuo Shibuimaru. Traffic accident.

_Now I just need to wait._

Forty seconds later Light heard tires shriek and a crash of metal against metal and someone screaming. Takou was dead.

Light felt like she was going to be sick.

Four days later she met Ryuk.

* * *

"Seems like you like it," a grave voice commented without concern. Light thought for a moment _she_ was the one that was going to have the heart attack. 

Then she turned around. _Bad idea._ So she kept turning and just hoped that she had accidentally walked into some hallucinogens on the way home. Going crazy was easier than talking to a…

"…shinigami."

"Eh, so you know what I am. Aren't you afraid?" The leather adorned Death God questioned. Light noticed disinterestedly he dressed an awful lot like that Takuo guy.

"No, I have been expecting you for several days now. Ever since I have written in this book," to prove her point Light tapped one painfully short fingernail on the glossy black cover of the Death Note.

"So you know what it does,"

"Of course but I do…have a question." The God of Death made a small sound in the back of his throat; like a lion's purr. Light took this as a signal to continue, "What happens to me now? Are you going to take my soul or something? Am I to be punished for killing so many people?"

The gruesome spirit made another sound, this time like the hum of a thousand wasps, "Of course not. Where do you humans come up with these things?" He turned one decaying eye to the mortal he was bound to, "Just how many people have you killed? It's only been five days."

Light opened up the first page of the Death Note. The shinigami made a sound akin to choking on kittens. Names were scrawled on every inch of parchment; so many it was impossible to count them all. Well over a hundred; possibly over three.

"You've certainly been busy haven't you?" It wasn't a question Light felt like answering. "My name is Ryuk and I think we're going to get along great."

"So you're not going to kill me?"

"I will—"Light stiffened, "But not yet. One day it will be I who writes your name in this book but until then, I'm just here to watch." Light wondered if that was supposed to comfort her.

It didn't.

"So, Ryuk, right? Mind clearing up a couple of things for me?" Ryuk just laughed.

"Sure, but only if you get something for me."

"And that would be?"

"An apple, of course."

Light could feel a headache forming.


	2. Interpol

**Author's Note: **I hate this chapter. Too much dialogue, not enough description. Definitely not enough sarcasm. Very much transition-y

Interpol

A thousand voices clamoring to be heard…

"—Fifty-two in the last week!"

"—every single one from cardiac arrest—"

"—that's just those that we know about—"

"—whose whereabouts are unknown, have died—"

"—all of the victims are criminals—"

"—the death toll could be well over a hundred—"

…but only one that matters has yet to speak.

"Good afternoon. This is L." An immediate hush echoed through the room like a gunshot. L took this silence as an invitation to continue. "The case before us is unprecedented in scope and difficulty…

…and is a monstrous crime of mass murder that must be stopped at all costs!!"

"In order to solve it, I request the full cooperation of police worldwide, with a resolution to that affect passed at the Interpol meeting today."

The silence waned.

* * *

"Everything is going exactly as planned, Ryuk. Those with clean consciences are cheering Kira in silence while the guilty live in fear." Light smiled like a satisfied cat that ate the canary and drowned the family dog. It didn't last. 

"We are interrupting the program to bring you a live, globally televised broadcast from Interpol." Light turned the computer monitor off and faced the television, not yet overly concerned. A young man appeared on the screen dressed in a suit with long hair. The name plate before him read Lind L. Tailor. He began to speak.

"My name is Lind L. Tailor, more commonly known as 'L' and the sole person able to mobilize police in every country worldwide." Light's mouth opened in shock.

_What the hell!?_

"Criminals have been the target of a killing spree which has turned the into the biggest mass murder case in history." L, or rather Lind L. Tailor continued, ignorant of Light's shock and disbelief. "This monstrous crime must be stopped at all costs. 'Kira' as the perpetrator is commonly known, **will** be caught. I guarantee it."

Light felt a pang of annoyance at being addressed as 'Kira' but squashed it down. She didn't appreciate being called a killer but that was no reason to allow emotions to cloud her judgment.

"How can he catch me? There is no proof! No evidence! I could be anyone, anywhere!" Light said out-loud, more for her own benefit and comfort than Ryuk's.

"Kira, I think I've got a pretty good idea of why you're doing this. But what you're doing…" Light momentarily forgot to breath.

"**Is evil!" **

_What!? Me? Evil!? I'm making the world a better place! How can that be evil?_

Light made a small, displeased hissing sound. Her fingers itched to wrap around a pen and write this fool's name down.

_Goodbye Lind L. Tailor. Maybe if you had been smarter you wouldn't have died._

The sound of the pen scripting across the Death Note's blank pages replaced Light's fury with a sense of contentment. She didn't even notice she had just killed a man of the law. Someone she had sworn to protect. By all intents and purposes, an innocent.

In fact, she was counting the seconds to his death.

"Three. Two. One. Zero!"

Lind L. Taylor clutched his chest as if in pain and, after a few gasping breaths, died. Light should have known it wouldn't be so easy.

"I…I don't believe it…" Kira choked on her own giggles, her eyes glued to the TV. "This was an experiment to test a hunch I had but I never really thought…" She wasn't laughing now.

"Kira…You can actually kill people without direct contact. You'd have to, of course. It didn't make sense otherwise…" The voice mused to itself, seemingly forgetting that this was a live broadcast.

"Listen to me, Kira. You just killed Lind L. Tailor, a condemned criminal scheduled to die—"

"Ryuk," Kira's voice was so quiet the Death God had to bend down to hear her words, "I think I made a mistake." Ryuk nodded in agreement.

"He got you there." The shinigami pointed out helpfully.

"—had no way of knowing about him. But I, L, do in fact exist." A pause. "So come on! Kill me if you can!" Light shot the television a startled look. Was this guy crazy?

"What are you waiting for? Come on! Go ahead and kill me! I'm still here. Can't do it, Kira?" _He's taunting me!_ Light thought angrily, the pen bending in her grip.

"Evidently you aren't able to kill me."

"Betcha L is breathing a big sigh of relief right now, huh?" Ryuk murmured in her ear. Light couldn't help but agree.

"So there are people you can't kill. That's a valuable clue. Now I'll give you some information in return." Light raised a feminine eyebrow, waving one hand in a gesture for Ryuk to hush. "Although it was announced that this was being televised globally, actually it was broadcasted only in the Kanto region around Tokyo." For the second time in less than a week Light felt like she was going to be sick.

"You are in the Kanto region of Japan!"

"Smart kid." Ryuk sniggered; Light wanted to strangle him.

"And, although the police have missed this, your first victim was the Shinjuku killer who took eight people hostage in a nursery school." Light could feel sweat sliding in between her scapula. This wasn't good. "I knew, Kira, that you were in Japan! And that your first victim was nothing but a guinea pig for testing your powers!!" _Powers?_ Light mouthed the word, tasting it, wondering how accurate it was and how much L could possible know. Hopefully not too much more.

"—Now, I dare say, it may not be so long before I send you to die."

Kira froze.

"It would interest me greatly to know **how** you carry out your murders but that's something I can find out **after** I catch you!!"

"Send me…to die…He said…" Light mumbled in quiet horror. Her mind became a maelstrom of thoughts and fears, each wanting to be examined and tested. To be proven wrong.

_To die? Do I deserve to die? How…could he know so much already? I didn't do anything worth dying for…did I? I can't let him win. I have to find L before he finds –and kills—me. I _have_ to win._

"I'm going to find you first L. If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to find you!"

"Till we meet again, Kira."

_I don't understand. _

"Until then L."

_Send me to die? Why?_

"So, let me get this straight, whoever is found first is dead?" Ryuk asked, laughing.

"Do me a favor, will you Ryuk? Shut up!"

_I'll find you first L and then I _will_ kill you._


	3. Stumbling

**Author's Note:** gawd, this is so sad. I could write better in 4th grade (and did) but I wanted to write this and I think it is a really cool idea. (not really but I'm writing it anyways) maybe I'll get better? Don't hold your breath. On another note, welcome back sarcasm, we missed you. Next chapter out on Sunday. (geeze there are a lot of scene shifts in this thing) The next chapter will be better...No, really!

* * *

"I'm so sick of this." The college bound student muttered, her voice dark with something stronger than simple annoyance. "L this. Kira that. Why can't people just drop it?" Ryuk gave her a look that said 'why are you asking me? I'm not human, you little twit.' Well, kind of. Not really. 

A knock at the door broke Light from her misery bound reverie. It was Sayu asking for help on her math. Again.

"Of course I'll help you with your homework, Sayu. Don't be silly, it's no problem at all." Smile. Smile. Smile. And Charm! There we go Light, just act like nothing is wrong and maybe it _won't_ be.

…Pfft. Like that ever works.

"Hey, Liiiiight!" Sayu sing songed. "Isn't this magazine kinda dirty?" She held the offending tabloid pinched in between her thumb and forefinger like it was a piece of Dad's dirty laundry.

"I don't know why it would be. I clean my room daily." Light pointed out, only slightly oblivious.

"Uh-huh. And what's this?" Sayu opened it at random. Light felt her cheeks start to burn.

"Righty-o then. I see your point." _That_ was one going on the black list. "Hey, Sayu, mind handing me the matches? They're right behind you."

"How about I just throw it away instead?" Sayu, always the helpful younger sister, offered. Kira gave a faked sigh of dismay and nodded. Sayu turned to walk out the door, homework forgotten, when she was struck by a question.

"Hey, Light, what were doing with this anyways?" There was an edge of teenage suspicion in her voice that Light didn't like. With an embarrassed hand wave and laugh (both faked) she told her.

"I was reading the article about Kira and L, if you _must_ know." She made sure to add a teasing note in her voice, just to be sure. Sayu giggled knowingly and gave her elder sister a mischievous wink.

"Geeze, Light, preparing to take Daddy's job already? Don't _study_ too hard will you?" Sayu spoke just a little bit louder than necessary, as if trying to get her voice to carry down stairs. Light wondered what absurd assumption Sayu had made in the last five seconds but soon decided it beneath her to care. At least she could still deceive her little sister.

…not like that was hard or anything but _still_.

"What _does_ your father do again?" Ryuk wondered out loud; finally noticing the smirk gracing his hostess's face. Although surprised by this question, Light didn't let it show. Guess he isn't _completely_ enamored with apples. Who would have known?

Said mass murder waited until Sayu was safely downstairs and the door was closed before answering, "Well, Ryuk, it seems you have just inadvertently stumbled upon my ace in the hole."

Suddenly Kira was feeling a lot more chipper.

* * *

"Why couldn't Kira kill me?" L asked in the dark. His gaze lost to the maze of a city that was Tokyo. 

_Because I'm not a criminal? …that couldn't be it. Considering the circumstances, he definitely would have done it if he could. So it's got to be…because he doesn't know what I look like…?_

A small electronic ding yanked the world famous detective from his musings. It was Watari.

"What is it, Watari?" L's voice was curt yet polite. He didn't like to be interrupted when thinking.

"The task force is starting its meetings." Finally things were starting to move.

"Good. Link me up."

_I'm going to find you Kira.  
_

* * *

**Ding dong**

"That must be dad!" Sayu cried and Light could hear the smile in her voice and the bounce in her step. "He's home early today!" The dark haired daughter shouted as she all but sprinted down the stairs.

"Hey! At least finish the last problem on your own!" Light called down to her, hiding her own pleasure under a mask of fake annoyance. _I'm glad you're home Daddy._

Light thought about L and his deadly promise and started to feel her glee wane. _Damn him for ruining this. _It was true that she wanted to see her father; it had been several days after all. But she also wanted to know about the Kira case. She wanted to know about L.

"Welcome home Dad."

Soichiro Yagami gave his eldest a weary smile and, after a few heart wrenching moments of indecision, an embrace. Suddenly Light felt like everything was going to okay. _I will keep you safe._

"I'm glad to be home." And Light smiled back.

* * *

"Of course I'm doing well in school." She teased "Don't you guys trust me?" 

"Of course dear," her mother soothed, "but we would be poor parents if we didn't ask." Her father gave a slow nod, his focus more on Mom's home-cooked meal than his genius daughter. _Probably the first thing he has eaten that _wouldn't_ bounce off walls in days._

"You seem tired Daddy." It was an issue the small family of four had been skirting all dinner and although Light didn't want to bring it up she _had_ to know. _I'll find you first._

"I am," Soichiro agreed, "This case is a hard one, to put it mildly…" He raised a hand to his brow and rubbed at the developing wrinkles there. Light could see the headache in the way he moved and spoke. "…it's practically a wild-goose chase." Kira smothered a smile.

"But the person at the head of the investigation—" Everyone knew who that was. "did say that, judging by the time of each death, the killer was probably a student."

"I don't think this is appropriate for the dinner table…" Mom started without hesitation.

"Why not? Light may even be able to help this case. She has before!" He reminded his wife sternly. Both daughters knew it was time to intervene but only the one haunted by a god of death took initiative.

"Thank you for dinner Mom, it was delicious." Sachiko Yagami immediately began to glow from the well deserved praise. "Oh, and Sayu? Was that all the help you needed?" Sayu nodded, her mouth too full with food to reply. Light paused at the doorway, "Dad, please don't stress too much about the case, okay? We miss you at home." And Kira shut the door.

"Sayu? Was Light helping you with your homework?"

Kira hoped Sayu wouldn't remember the magazine incident. Halfway to her room Light heard Sayu's outraged shriek and wanted to smile. She didn't.

_You won't catch me L.  
_

* * *

"What!?" 

"There were—" Soichiro Yagami, the detective superintendent of the NPA, shot a quick glance down at one of the papers on his desk, "23 heart attack victims **again** after yesterday?"

"Y…yes, sir." Replied a terrified intern.

"Each died exactly one hour apart from each other, just like yesterday?" The intern nodded.

"Looks like it isn't a student." Someone pointed out helpfully.

"Yeah, but anyone can skip school for a couple of days." Someone else reminded them.

"That isn't it! He may not be a student but that's not what Kira is trying to tell us! What Kira is saying is that he is free to choose the time of death as he pleases!" Nearly everyone in the building shot the talking computer a startled look. L rarely felt a need to speak, he usually just listened.

_Kira is challenging me._


	4. Once

**Author's Note-** **Edit:** Forgot the breaks! Sorry! Please don't take away my cookies. (and yes I killed Raye and Naomi anyways. Why? Because Death Note is a dark manga about, you know, death. And life is unfair)

* * *

Once, when she was very young, Light could remember at time when her father was badly hurt. Mother had cried, the tears never seemed to stop, and Light and her new little sister had to stay with relatives for several days. 

It wasn't until some time later, once Daddy was home and Mother was once more hiding her tears, that Light found out what happened. Yagami Soichiro had been shot while on active duty. The bullets, both of them, had torn through his body and the criminals had left him for dead.

And Mother had cried.

This was the memory Light drew upon when she wrote in the Death Note. If you killed the criminals they couldn't hurt you, right? Destroy the threat and everything would be _just fine_.

But it wasn't. L wanted her dead. L, the greatest detective on earth, a man of supposed integrity and justice wanted _her _dead.

That's ok, Light thought (even though it wasn't) because she would keep her family safe. She would keep _everyone_ safe. Even L.

Even if that meant turning into the very things she killed with such gusto. Even if that meant dying.

Mother **would not** cry again.

Her family, at least, would be safe. Of that Light promised.

It's sort of sad, really, that she would become a monster to keep that promise.

"I'm sorry Ryuk. There just isn't anything I can do about it." _Although I did toy with the idea of telling Dad I have a stalker and watch the agent get arrested._

"You could kill him," The sickly looking god suggested, his pointy toothed grin stretching to obscene measures.

"No. I can't. I don't know his name, you know that." Light pointed out. Now that she knew she was being followed she couldn't help but feel the tickling of an itch threaten in between her shoulder blades. It felt like bugs were crawling under her skin. "And I doubt he would tell me if I came up and asked." Light was annoyed to see Ryuk's smile widen.

"There is a way….shinigami eyes." Light shot Ryuk a look. _The hell…?_

"And what, exactly, are _shinigami eyes_?" Ryuk suppressed a shudder. Mortal or not, the curtain holder of his Death Note could be scary.

"It is an old deal that shinigami used to make with the humans who had their notes. You could get _my_ eyes: could see a human's name with a glance at their face." Ryuk said, twisting his claws together like a scolded child. "Their name and their life expectancy." He finished.

Kira stopped walking in mid-step, her eyes wide.

"Ll…life expectancy? As in how much longer they have left to live?" Ryuk nodded. _Isn't that what I said? _He wants to ask but doesn't.

Someone shoves into Light's shoulder and suddenly she is reminded that she is standing in the middle of a busy street discussing optometry with an invisible god a death while being followed by a man commissioned by L.

"Let's finish our discussion over ice-cream, okay? I know a really good store on the way home." Ryuk looked thoughtful.

"Apple?"

"Of course."

It only took a couple of minutes to reach the ice-cream parlor. Especially when Light made sure to jog fast enough to loose her shadow. It was impolite to listen in on other's conversations after all. Two apples and an ice cream cone later Ryuk deemed their conversation spy free.

"Light, do you know the biggest differences between humans with Death Notes and shinigami?" Light shook her head no; after all, why should she?

Ryuk held up two jeweled fingers. "One: When humans use a Death Note other humans die. When shinigami use a Death Note, humans still die but whatever life they had remaining gets added onto the shinigami's life span. So if--"

"I understand. If a human had 30 years left to live then the Death God who killed them would get those thirty years added onto their own life span." Light made a small wave with her hand as a sign to continue. Ryuk started to pick at his sharp teeth with an equally sharp claw. Light shuddered. _That is not very hygienic._

"So the only Death Gods I've seen die are the lazy ones who forgot to write in their notes." Light smothered a chuckle. Death by inaction._ Sounds like the police force—ack! No! Bad thoughts! _

"Two: The eyes—"

"Wait a minute." Kira interrupted, suddenly curious. "How _can_ you kill a death god?" A small pause. "…and get your claws out of your mouth!" Ryuk gave a small 'eep' of surprise and obeyed.

"I've heard that there is a way to kill death gods but I don't know what it is." Ryuk gave Light a sullen glare; apparently unimpressed at this mortal's successful attempt at bossing him around.

"And even if you did you wouldn't tell me." Light figured. Ryuk nodded.

"Anyways! As I was saying, the second big difference between us is the eyes." Light raised one thin, feminine eyebrow in question. "How else are shinigami supposed to know what name to write in? You see—"and here Ryuk chuckled at his own pun."—when I look at you I can see your name _and_ your death date floating over your head." _My death date? That means…_

"You know how much longer I have left to live!" Ryuk nodded and didn't bother to hide his kicking-puppies grin.

"Of course but (unfortunately for you) it is against the rules for me to tell you." Even under the force of Light's glare, Ryuk's grin continued to grow to macabre proportions. Light felt the pencil in her grip start to bend. _That idiotic, two faced---_

"BUT!" Light felt like throwing a shoe at him. "If you really want to you can see through my eyes…" _and here comes the catch._ Light thought cynically.

"…it will cost you half of your remaining life span." Kira choked. _Half!?_ "So if you have, say, three years left and—"

"I do know basic math Ryuk!"

"Testy, testy! I think L is still stressing you out!" _He's probably right. _"So, want the eyes or not?"

_What would I do if I knew Sayu would die tomorrow? Or mom? Or just random people in the street? Ryuk has already admitted that my fate after death isn't going to be a pleasant one…_

…_and for half my life? I _need_ that half to, you know, live._

"No deal. Eventually L's suspicions concerning me will pass and so will my shadow. All I have to do is wait it out." _What would I do if I knew they were going to die?_

"Besides, I bet seeing names floating over everyone's head would give me a headache after a while." Ryuk laughed.

_I need to find L._

"On second thought, maybe there is something I can do about my shadow."

* * *

"Come on Raye, you have to admit was pretty funny." Naomi Misora teased her fiancé gently. Best not to rub it in too much until the dye came out at least. 

"Ha. Ha." Raye Penber was not pleased. "If you think getting suspended for three months funny for _doing_ _my_ _job_."

"Lighten up." Naomi snapped. "If it was me I would have done the same thing. It's not the girl's fault she reacted like she did. Her dad probably drilled paranoia into her skull before she was old enough to write her own name." The soon to be Mrs. Penber knew what that was like. Always looking over your shoulder and the itching _need_ to know where ever exit was as soon as you entered a room. It had saved her life several times and Raye's, she knew, even more.

That didn't mean it wasn't hard always expecting a knife between the ribs.

"Besides, it's your own fault getting duped by a color-blind high school student with people problems." Raye made a small, displeased growling sound. Naomi just laughed.

"…college student." He mumbled; as if that was justification for his failure.

"Excuse me?"

"She started college this week."

That did nothing to abate Naomi's chuckles. "Terribly sorry. My mistake." Raye Penber glowered at his one-twu-luv and reached a brightly colored hand to the lotion bottle. The itching had started again. "You know what?" Raye quirked a missing eyebrow in question. "I really do hope your hair grows back fast." Another eruption of laughter.

"That's it. I give up!" The shamed FBI agent flopped one arm over his eyes in defeat.

"Oh and Raye?" Misora crooned; her words more sugary than a chocolate, crispy cream donut with sprinkles.

"Mcrlaaaarg?" Said Raye.

"I'm pregnant."

"I told you to stop—wha!?"

At least someone could forget the shadow that was cast over the world. Kira's shadow. Raye Penber and Naomi Misora don't know how lucky they are to be alive but, like all things, it would not last.

In two days they will both be killed in a car crash by a man trying to escape police custody after murdering several others. It will be Kira who avenges them.

Their child would have been a girl and she would have been named Sammy.

This is how the world turns.


	5. 12th Letter

**Author's Note: **I almost didn't finish this in time. I had written down the last scene at school while I was grounded and lost it. Yeah, I know, how stupid of me. I'll probably find it when I go back to school tomorrow and then I'll squish that and this together and I might repost it. I might not. I'm also working on a live-journal to better organise my thoughts. I'll have the link up as my homepage later. Thank you all for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter. (but I doubt you will) Next chapter's title? **Tennis**.**  
**

* * *

**bip bip bip**

"What is it Watari?" L asked, not bothering to turn around.

"News just in of three unusual cardiac arrest victims." The shadow in the monitor replied.

"Thanks."

"I will send you images of the picture and note."

"Unusual?" L asked the darkness, expecting no reply.

…_a note expressing fear of Kira. It could just be the criminal acting on his own but Kira can control the time of death. Could he also manipulate his victims actions right before they die? Maybe… _

"Chief!" L's electronic voice called. "Regarding the latest victims, please tell the media that 'cause of death was cardiac arrest' and nothing else." Soichiro Yagami nodded. "There's a possibility that Kira used these victims to test something. We don't want to let him know if he succeeded or not." L elaborated.

"All right." Soichiro agreed. "Treating human beings as lab rats…it's abominable!" L heard him mutter as he left supposedly to complete the detective's instructions.

_If he was using these criminals as guinea pigs…What's he planning?! If Kira used those criminals as a test, he's about to start something. If he does make a move now, it's possible the FBI will notice someone acting suspiciously. But if these deaths _**weren't**_ a test, but had another purpose… _

_This note and that picture might be some kind of message…_

**L**ord have mercy.  
**Do** what I can, I'll either be hanged or  
**you** know it, killed by Kira, I  
**know** about him. He's going to get me.

_This…this says…  
_

* * *

"So, you're telling me that one of your agents, this Ray Penbar, was outsmarted by a high school student and tricked into revealing our entire operation to the Japanese task force." L commented lightly, incredulity coloring his voice. _How can one person mess so much up?_

"Well, in defense of the agent, the girl _is_ considered a genius." _I definitely need some tea. _The detective thought wearily. "L, I'm sorry but the FBI is terminating its investigation in Japan. It's true that Kira has murdered more criminals in the U.S. than anywhere else but ever since you pinpointed his location as the Kanto region around Tokyo, his victims have been concentrated in Japan." A pause. "I'm going to be questioned by Congress over this anyways and well on top of that—I'm a well known man, my face is public property and I…I don't want to be killed." _And now the truth comes out. _L thought acidly. "The FBI is pulling out of Japan---err, wait a minute." The detective could hear a phone ring on the other side of the line.

"Hmph. Here's a call from the Japanese Task Force already. I'm telling them the FBI was there at your request, L. Is that understood?" L said nothing. "Goodbye."

_Maybe I should have been focusing more on the FBI agents than the imprisoned criminals. Maybe I could have prevented this from happening._

Another idea. _Maybe I should meet this girl. _Light Yagami._  
_

* * *

"Are you speaking the truth!? The FBI was probing members of our task force under orders from _**L**_!?" Soichiro Yagami all but snarled into the phone. People from two hallways over could hear his rage—if not his words. Quiet murmuring erupted after his outburst. 

"L…I knew we couldn't trust him…" Someone mumbled in the background.

"Still," Someone else replied, "I can't believe the chief's _daughter_—" Soichiro could feel a tendril of fatherly pride tickle at the tops of his ears.

"It was hilarious!" A third someone felt a need to contribute to the almost-hushed conversation.

"Enough." Soichiro may be proud of his daughter but not of his task force. They were gossiping like children! "Is Watari or L here?" By L he meant the laptop. Several people shook their head no. "Good. Now, raise your hand if you don't trust L." Over half raised their hands. One particularly energetic detective raised both and bounced on the balls of his feet. Yagami recognized him as the one who thought his daughter's antics as hilarious.

"Ok then. So what are we going to do about it?" No one spoke. "Yes, you in the suit. What do you think we should do?" Yagami pointed at the largest cluster of task force members. All of them were wearing suits.

"Err…quit?" One in the front said. Yagami nodded solemnly.

"You're right."

"Wha--? Really?"

"No. You're fired." Soichiro cleared his throat. "Anyone else? Okay, first off. Why do we not trust L?"

…

"Because we don't know who he is." Said his daughter in the doorway. "Hello Dad." She had a change of clothes clasped in her ink smudged hands

* * *

After Light had left (and over two thirds of the investigators with her) Soichiro received a rather particular message. L wanted to _meet_ him. Meet, as in face to face, with _L_. It was all the seasoned detective could do to not dance a small jig. Then he remembered why he was meeting L and immediately sobered. Kira was on the loose. The death toll had just reached over 500. His family were suspects in L's eyes. 

The patriarch of the Yagami household soon wondered why he ever considered doing something as frivolous as dancing. People were _dying_, after all.

So he waved his lovely, genius daughter goodbye and hoped that everything would work out. It _had _to.

"This place?" The director chief of police asked himself; only slightly flabbergasted. He was standing in front of one the most expensive hotels in Japan. _L is here. _He steeled his suddenly frazzled nerves.

"Excuse me, Yagami Soichiro?" A voice asked behind him—a familiar voice. Watari.

"Oh, yes, Wata—" Soichiro turned around only to find a well-dressed, elderly man. _This couldn't be…_

"L is expecting you. If you would please follow me?" Soichiro nodded in dumbstruck compliance. One awkward silence and elevator ride later and the Japanese detective found himself in front of two giant doors proclaiming themselves as the 'Presidental Suite'.

By the time Mr.Yagami (or rather, Yagami-san) picked his jaw off the floor and gathered his strength of will to approach the door, Watari was no where to be seen. _Sneaky old man. _He paused at the door but did not knock.

…

_This is ridiculous! You're a grown man! Just knock on the damn door! _

Soichiro's inner monologue would have continued on for sometime if the door hadn't opened from the opposite side right then. The startled man made a small 'meep' like sound and jumped at the door's sudden movement. The person who opened the door was a wild haired young man. _This couldn't be…_

The youth must have noticed Yagami's confusion and disbelief for he spoke first. "Come in." Kira's father did so. Only after the door was shut did L speak again. "I am L." Yagami didn't look convinced.

"But…you're…" _youngscruffyshortbadposturenormalyoungL._ "Prove it." L nodded, he had been expecting that.

"Your name is Yagami Soichiro, you are 48 years old and were born on July 12, 1955. You are married to one Yagami Sachiko and have two daughters; Light, 17, and Sayu, 14." The ease at which this young man rattled off so much personal information caused tremors of paranoia to surge up Soichiro's spine.

"Well…okay then." L turned around and walked into the depths of the gigantic hotel room. The police employed detective followed.

"You know, if I was Kira you would be dead, Yagami-san." L kept moving. Soichiro stood still. _Is this some kind of sick joke…?_ "You and your entire family. The other investigators too. All Kira needs is your name and face to kill you." _…my family!? The others!?_

"Kira only kills criminals." He pointed out and instantly regretted it. L just nodded.

"For now." A small pause, they could both hear Watari shuffling around in an adjacent room. "Still, you should be careful about revealing your name." _Point taken._

"Could you turn off your cell phone, laptop or any other electronic device you might have on your person and set it in the center of that table? Thanks." L pointed at a nearby coffee table with several chairs surrounding it. He made his way to one of those chairs and perched in it in a most particular fashion. Soichiro thought it rather made him appear like an over grown bird but still did as requested and sat down on a conveniently placed couch. Of course, he sat like a regular person.

"There are two reasons why I called you hear today. One is that we need to test the trust of the remaining task force members and slim down their numbers. I would like to meet each of them but a dozen leaves us with too many possible leaks." Soichiro felt a need to protest the rather harsh judgment L was passing on his team. Then he remembered the FBI following his own family and quieted. L would never trust any of them. "Second," The insomniac looking detective continued, "I would love to hear how your daughter outsmarted one of the FBI's best agents."

_How was this guy L again?_

…

_Wait a minute. How did he _know_ we only had a dozen members left!?_


	6. Tennis

**Author's Note:** I'm posting this early by--one hour and ten minutes by my watch. Next chapter is titled 'Second' and should be out Tuesday-ish. On another note--I've just reach 2000hits! Yay! Also, I'm considering going back and ironing out all the wrinkles in the previous chapters but if I do it will be quite a while yet. Remember to check out my live-journal. I've been sticking peices of didn't-happen/never-going-to-happen/teasers! of Ink in there for fun. Thank you all for your support. It makes me blush and giggle like the school girl I am.

* * *

By the end of the day the task force was reduced to a third of its previous size. Light could feel accomplishment hum in her veins. _Everything is going as planned._ There had been a steady decrease of officers who would willingly take the Kira case for weeks and within a few hours time she had slimmed the numbers down to less than a dozen. She had to fight to keep the smile off her chapped lips.

"Now back to college I go." She murmured quietly to herself; squashing the urge to skip the rest of the way. "Just have to turn in that extra assignment into Yokisho-sensei and I'm free for the rest of the week." Screw skipping. Light wanted to dance.

Would Kira dance? She wondered. If L was here, watching her, would he think she was Kira because she was doing a jig in a public street or just think she was crazy? Did matter?

_No. It doesn't. I'm safe. I'm free. He'll never catch me!_ Light bounced out of the way of a harassed looking business woman talking on her cell phone. _Hey, that rhymed._

Nothing could ruin her day.

Except, of course, that guy who was staring at her on a nearby park bench. _Creepy. He doesn't even _blink

_And how the hell can anyone sit like that? _

…_better question. Why?_

Light thought maybe if she ignored him he would go away. Not that it worked with the FBI agent. Or homework. Or Sayu's sad attempt at cooking. It might work this time? Of course it didn't. He was still there when she came out of the building. Light didn't think he had moved the entire time.

_Um, oookay._ Best walk quickly then.

Usually Light's highly developed sense of paranoia would alert her to the presence of people who she should avoid. Usually she is impossible to sneak up on. Usually she didn't have an annoying death god swoop down like a crazed bird and start begging for apples when all she really wanted to do was go home and sleep until the new year.

"Hello, Yagami Light." The boy's voice was strangely musical, if a bit rough. He mustn't talk much. Light thought as she stiffened. _How the hell does he know my name? And who the hell is he? …You know what—I'll ask him._

"Excuse me, not to be rude but who _are_ you? And _how_ do you know my name?" The boy (was he really a boy? He was at least her age—probably older) shrugged and Light didn't have to use her amazing observational abilities to notice he had absolutely horrible posture. In fact, if she didn't notice she should probably visit an optometrist.

"I work with your father." The scruffy youth replied. Light wanted to ask '_and so?'_ but slammed the urge back into her subconscious with a force that could shatter marble like play-do. Light also wondered where the hell she kept coming up with these comparisons.

All she said was "A lot of people work with my father." and slowed her pace to a more comfortable walking-and-talking stride. Ryuk was still waving his arms like a giant peacock and begging for apples. Light ignored him with all the grace and elegance of an Egyptian Mau.

"I was actually hoping you could clarify a few things for me." Light stopped and shot him a _look_ and was terribly disappointed when he didn't even look vaguely terrified.

"I guess?"

"I was wondering how you came up with that ingenious idea concerning the FBI agent." Light smiled a Cheshire cat grin and her steps seemed to lighten.

"Sure."

The next day she had some how been corralled into accepting a tennis match with a guy whose name she didn't even know.

* * *

_Why am I doing this again? I mean really, waking up early on a Saturday to go play tennis with a guy my dad works for. It's finally happened. I have lost my mind. _

Light raised a hand in greeting to the scruffy haired kid. This early in the morning left only the two of them (and an annoying, tone-deaf finch) as the only occupants of the tennis court. That guy (_I should really ask him his name_.) seemed to be in the same clothes as yesterday—namely a loose white sweat shirt and jeans. Light just hoped (if they _were_ the same clothes) that they had been washed recently.

"So, just one set. Whoever wins six games first is the winner. All right with you?" Light nodded.

"It's fine." _Who the hell is this guy? He said he works for my dad but he looks too young for it. Matsuda is at least in his late twenties and this kid doesn't look older than me. Dad should have mentioned him by now. _A thought struck; unwanted. _What if he has been sent to make sure I'm not Kira? But then why a tennis game?_

"Ready to go?" He asked. Light nodded.

**PHWOOSH**

"Haven't you ever heard of warming up?"

"Nope." He replied."He who moves first always wins." He explained.

"Or she!" Light interjected. _This guy is __nuts-o_

**ZWAP**

**ZWOK**

_Where did this guy learn to play!? _Light thought franticly. She nearly tripped trying to reach the tennis ball in time for another swing.

**THWICK**

_Waitaminute. Can someone tell if I'm Kira through a tennis game? _She wanted to dismiss the thought entirely as ridiculous but felt a nagging itch at the back of her mind. _If I try too hard to win, does that make me seem like Kira?_ _On the under hand…_

**ZWAP**

**ZWOK**

**ZING**

…_If I lose on purpose, he'll think that I thought trying too hard to win would make me seem like Kira. So loosing makes me seem like Kira too—right?_

**THWACK**

**THWUMP**

"Screeeee!" Said the annoying finch from earlier as it dodged under a speeding tennis ball. _Screw it. Don't think like Kira. Think like Light. What would a completely-innocent Light do? _

**ZINGZWAPZWOK**

_She would win._

**DASH**

**FWOOSH**

"Arg!!You stupid bird!"

* * *

"This is one of my favorite coffee shops. If you sit here in he back, nobody can hear what you're talking about." Light said softly. 

"I've noticed you have chosen the perfect place for this." The incognito detective replied. Kira nodded and decided not to comment on his rather unusual sitting position.

"I have some questions that I'm sure you can answer." L noted how she said 'can' and not 'will.'

"Do you?"

She nodded. "Yes, I do…" Light saw the waitress coming from the corner of her eye. "…but first—_coffee_."

Only after Light ordered her daily dose of scalding hot liquid caffeine and cream did she decide to stop dancing around the subject.

"You said you work with my father yet you haven't once mentioned your own name. Hardly fair for you to know my name when I don't know yours."

"I haven't, have I?" _Didn't I just say that? _"It's Ryuuzaki." _Is it? Really?_

"No. It's not." Light lightly shrugged off his lies. L's black rimmed eyes widened at her lack of subtly. "You want to know what I think?" _Too bad. You don't get a choice in the matter. _

"I think that you are either L or someone who works under him." L's, already wider than usual, eyes widened further. Light smoothed a giggle at his surprise. _What does she think she is doing…?_ He thought slowly; trying to focus more on his own drink than her willingness to toss discretion out the window.

"I see…and do you have any proof to support that assumption?" Light paused; considering.

"Kind of." L raised obsidian eyebrows in an unvoiced question.

"First off there was the FBI agent. Now why would someone working for the U.S. government follow the daughter of the Detective Superintendent of the NPA? There is no reason other than I was a suspect of something but even then the FBI would not get involved with Japanese affairs unless I was a suspect of something that involved them—the Kira Case." Light took several delicate sips from her coffee. L noticed she held the cup gingerly, barely even touching the handle of the porcelain mug. _She must be afraid to be burned. _"Or do you prefer the Criminal Victim Serial Murder Case?" L said nothing.

"Second, here you come and introduce yourself as someone who works with my father. _With_, not under. (most of the people on the Kira case work under my father) That too is a clue. Add that to the fact I know everyone, or know _of_ everyone, that my father has worked with in the last 5 years tells me you're lying…" Another small sip. "…and if you're not? Why wouldn't my father tell me that you had joined the investigation? Only if you were L or worked with him and Dad was told not to tell anyone. Including his family." _Impressive._

"Lastly, if you weren't L, why would you come to me and how would you know about the FBI incident? Unless you were Kira. Then it wouldn't matter; I know Kira can control his victims before killing them and that you once thought Kira was a student. He disproved that by making the times of death one hour apart for two days. That's when this started—the only people who knew that Kira was possibly a student were the investigators. That's why you started to investigate them and their families." L choked lightly on his own over-sugared coffee.

"And how do you know that, exactly?" He asked, trying to keep his tone light.

"I've been working on the Kira case on my own and I…well, the NPA needs to upgrade their firewall." _She hacked it!? _Light just gave him a mischievous grin.

"You know that's illegal." L pointed out slowly. Light nodded. The previously ignored Ryuk started to make faces at the other customers.

"Arresting me here and now would blow your cover. That and you have bigger fish to fry than a bored college freshman with too much time on her hands." _True._ L conceded.

"Also—"

**RING RING RING**

"Just a minute." Light dug through her bag in search of the annoying electronic device that made such a horrible racket. She yanked the cell phone from its large, crowded, cloth home and answered.

"Hello, this is Yagami Light speaking…"

**bip bip bip**

L recovered his own cell phone from his pockets with much more haste and grace than Light. He made up for it by holding his phone strangely.

"Ryuzaki, we have an emergency…" It was Watari.

"What's the matter?"

"Light, it's your father…"

"Mr. Yagami has collapsed."

"Light." L warned, already knowing it would be too late. "Your father…"

"I know." She said, her voice was a strange monotone; toneless and dead. All the color had left her already pale features and L noticed her hands were starting to shake.

"He had a heart attack."


	7. The Second

**Author's Note- **Sorry about being late. From now on the updates will be sporadic until Summer. I hope that this was worth the wait. And no, the story is not over. Not by a long shot. We havn't even reached the chained-to-L scenes yet! insert maniacal cackle here Oh, and this hasn't been beta-ed so it might still be a bit rough. (maybe cause I don't _have_ a beta, you think?)

* * *

"Are you sure this is caused by overwork?" Light ventured. L was grateful for her commenting first. He didn't fancy having his head bitten off by Mrs. Yagami. (isn't her name Sachiko?) 

"Light! What are you saying?" _Only the obvious. _L thought wearily. He could understand her concern—no one likes to hear that a loved one's life was at risk. He just wished that she wasn't so _loud_.

"Mother," Light soothed, holding up her hands in the eternal sign for surrender, "Father had a heart attack, who wouldn't make the connection? That is the way every single one of Kira's victims have died." Her amber eyes flashed, like a cat's, and L once again wondered how much she knew. _Too much._

"To be honest," Mr. Yagami (Soichiro, L remind himself, he asked to be called Soichiro) admitted, "That's exactly what crossed my mind as I was going down." Mrs. Yagami held a tiny hand to her lips; aghast. The sclera of her eyes burned a bloodshot red. The daughter, on the other hand, hadn't shown a hint of tears since the phone call this morning. Even now she held herself as rigidly as a statue. _Cold,_ L thought, _cold like stone. Cold like Kira._

"You head the task force in charge of this case." L surprised himself by speaking, "Kira has more than enough reason to want you dead," L pointed out, rather unhelpfully really since Mr. Yaga—Soichiro's wife simply looked more upset. Light simply looked murderous. _Oops. _""We can't completely rule out a murder attempt by Kira," L finished lamely.

"Sachiko." _Ha! I knew it!_ L thought gleefully, his earlier social blunder quickly forgotten. "Light's here now, and anyways, I'm all right. You go home now." The elder woman's mouth tightened into a straight horizontal slash. For an instant L thought she would refuse to leave. "And not a word about this to Sayu. I don't want to upset her."

"All right then. I'll be back tomorrow with some more of your things. Thanks for coming Light." And she was gone.

"No problem," Light called after her. The pale haired girl (unusual color, almost unnatural, L noted) climbed to her feet and shut the sliding hospital door. "I think," She said while turning around, "this would be the perfect time for you to answer some of my questions."

L blinked his dark eyes wide.

_I wish I had some chocolate.  
_

* * *

"So…that really was L?" Light asks, her voice and demeanor hesitant. Her father nods. She stands at the doorway of the hospital room watching L (_L!_) walk away. 

"It's strange that he would reveal himself to you. I only just met him face to face last night," He admits freely. "So far I think the two of us are the only ones who know his face." Kira's golden eyes brighten. _Now that's interesting._

"What did the two of you talk about?" She asks, her tone light with the barest hint of curiosity.

"Light—" the warning in his voice was clear, "You know I can't tell you that. You're under enough suspicion already." Light visibly winced. _Yeah, just rub it in._

"We can talk about it later, you know, when you're_ not_ in the hospital," Poor Ryuk, who always seemed to be ignored, let out a small, high-pitched whine. Soichiro, on the other hand, gave his daughter a grim look.

"_Light—_"

"_Daaad_, I haven't seen you in forever. For how long will Kira dog your every step?" Soichiro flinched at the small barb. "Let's just enjoy the fact we have several long hours until Mom shows up. You know," and here she made a small but extravagant wave with one nail bitten hand, "father/daughter bonding and all that jazz."

"Maybe some TV to rot our brains?" She suggests with a childish, innocent grin. Soichiro sighs mournfully but gives a relenting nod anyways.

**click**

"—we are being held hostage by Kira and have no choice but to air these videos. At the same time we—" Both parent's and daughter's eyes widen. _What the hell…?_ Kira, the ruthless, the cunning, the _first,_ feels something uncurling in the center of her chest. Like she had swallowed a white hot flower made of melting glass.

_What. Is. This._

Her father, on the other hand, felt like he was having a second heart attack.

"—four days ago, an envelope containing four videotapes arrived at this station, addressed to one of our directors. It was, without a shadow of doubt, sent by Kira." All she could hear is the never-ending static of a thousand voices clamoring to be heard.

A sketchy name appeared on the television's screen. Black, macabre letters twisting like dying snakes around _her_ name. Kira.

"I am Kira." Says a garbled voice to a horror struck nation. _No, you're not. I am. _Light wants to say. Her fingers start to itch like there were bugs crawling underneath her skin. Along her tendons and ligaments. Over, around, _into_ the marrow of her bones. _And, exactly, is your name, little liar?_

"Please switch channels to Taiyo TV. The news anchor, Mr.Kazuhiko Hibima, will die of a heart attack at precisely six P.M." **click **

A man lays sprawled across his desk, a woman on each side of him clutch at their faces and scream. That man is dead.

**click**

"Mr. Hibima has consistently referred to Kira as 'evil' in his news reports. This was his punishment." The glass flower in her chest blossoms into a storm of heat and pain. _How. __**Dare**__. He. _An innocent man; dead, and for what? What could justify this meaningless death?

_I'm going to **kill**__ you._

"Light." Says her father in a cold, dead tone. His hands tremble at his sides. "I need—" He trails off then gathers his strength. "I am the head of the task force charged with capturing Kira--" He starts but does not finish.

"I'm coming with you."

And despite his protesting; she does.

* * *

"Dad." He ignored her. "Dad!" He gritted his teeth tighter. "DAD--!" 

_**SCREEE---CRASH!!!**_

Light felt her breath come in frantic, shallow gasps. Burning pain lanced across her shoulder and chest where the seatbelt had cut deep into the skin. Her vision swam black and for an instant Light was terrified that she was dying. (_…but don't think that means you're going to heaven or hell…)_

I'm not dead. I'm not. Were her first relieved thoughts past the pain. The second was—"Daddy!" She called softly, blinking her blurred vision clear.

"Light—Wait for me here!" Came her father's haggard voice though the dust and darkness. Light nodded, as weak as a newborn kitten. _First things first_. She reminded herself firmly as she worked on freeing herself from the seatbelt's painful embrace.

"Ryuk," The death god had been flying above the armored vehicle during the crazed race to reach the television station before anyone else was killed. "This one has the eyes—doesn't he?" The dark god nodded.

"Seems that way," He rumbled. Light crawled to the driver's side of the truck and clutched at the wheel. Her own door was jammed shut.

It was a gamble, she knew. If she made the wrong choice and she could die. She _would _die.

"Is there **anything** you forgot to mention about the eye trade?" Light asked; hiding the frozen rage in her voice under a layer of composure. Ryuk wouldn't answer honestly if he thought his precious apples were at stake.

"Well…umm…you wouldn't be able to see another Death Note user's life expectancy?" Light nodded, quite calmly for the situation. _Maybe…_

"Let's wait it out—darn it!" She could hear sirens in the distance drawing closer._ The police!?_ "No apples for you!" She snapped. Ryuk froze as if in pain but Light ignored his (quite disturbing) kicked puppy expression. _What else could go wrong!? _Kira thought acidly. Her chest still hurt.

The police car was parked right behind the truck now. They were starting to get out—No!

"Stay inside you idiots! Don't come out! Don't be like them--!" It was too late. The driver looked up at the sound of her voice; startled. Then he started to fall.

Light couldn't tear her eyes away from it. The awkward arch of his spine, the way his hands clenched and unfurled; grasping at, then letting go, to life. His breath came in quick, frantic bursts and his eyes roved madly. By the time he hit the concrete his heart had already stopped. Light wondered if he had any family. A wife? Children? Daughters? For an instant Light didn't see nameless (_but if he _was_ nameless he wouldn't have died_) cop but her father. Her father dying. Her father dead.

_This is what L wants for you._

"Light! What happened!?" It was her father. She froze. _Does he know about the eyes?_

"They're dead!" Kira called back; near hysterics. It's not everyday a man dies before her eyes. (_yet_ _everyday a man dies by your hand._)

"Light! Light! We have to leave!" Soichiro called. He reached out large, trembling hands and clasped them around his daughter's too slight shoulders. She winced in an unexpected burst of pain.

"Okay. Okay." What first? What now? _Find the second. Kill L. Survive._ "We need to get out. Is there another exit?"

"Here," Her father peeled off his jacket and handed it to her. "As long as your face is covered you'll be alright." Light shook her head.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine—"

"But Dad!" She protested. Soichiro, however, would not be swayed.

"No buts! Put it on!" Light gave him a bitter look but obeyed. _I don't want to die but neither do I want you to either. _

"Are you ready?" The elder Yagami asked. Light nodded and pulled the cloth over her head until her face was obscured yet her eyes uncovered. Wouldn't do to walk into a wall while fleeing the second Kira's gaze after all.

_Almost makes me wish I had made the eye trade._

"Ok," Soichiro held up a hand and, second by second, each finger went down until all that remained was a large fist. He pulled one of his forearms over his mouth and chin and the other across his forehead, just over his eyes.

Kira stepped into the light.

She walked foreword briskly, reminding herself that her father is sick and it would be _wrong_ to leave him behind every time she wants to run. Run until this horrible night ends and she is never afraid again. Light carefully steps over the sprawled forms of the dead detectives and policemen. She heard her father curse behind her but did not turn around.

_One step. Two. Three steps. _

They made it over half way before Fate twisted her Edward Scissorhand's fingers into the knot of lives that surrounded this infamous murderess.

Soichiro stumbles. He stumbles, lands on his knees, clutchs at his chest (_his heart_) and falls.

Light froze. She heard his gasp of pain and the sound of his body hitting the ground. Blood pulsed in her ears like shards of black ice. Slicing open her veins and arteries and pouring out of her eyes like a never ending sea. She will never remember the steps she takes to reach her father's side. She will never remember exactly when the jacket falls from her face.

All she will remember is the fury that clutched icy claws around her cold heart.

_That's right you bastard. This is what you wanted, isn' it? It's your move now. Your move._

She fell to her knees and grasped her father's hands. She does not cry. She simply bends her head over his fallen form, her pale hair cascading over her eyes and face like a veil, and holds his hand.

(_…but don't think that means you're going to heaven or hell…)_ Ryuk's words echo like a death sentence.

_I love you Daddy._


End file.
